Team Profile & Role Description for post of Team Vicar (Pioneer)

Transcription

1 Serving the town of Witham and the villages of Terling, Fairstead, White Notley, Faulkbourne, Rivenhall and Silver End Team Profile & Role Description for post of Team Vicar (Pioneer) April 2017 The Heart of Essex from White Notley to the North Blackwater Estuary

2 Witham and Villages Team Ministry The Witham and Villages Team Ministry was formed in November 2014 and incorporates the town of Witham and the villages of Rivenhall, Silver End, Terling, Fairstead, White Notley and Faulkbourne. The ministry team includes the Team Rector, two Team Vicars, six Authorised Lay Preachers (ALP) and a Pastoral Assistant. In addition, at present, we have a full-time stipendiary curate in his second year and a part-time self-supporting curate (SSM) in her third year. We also have an ordinand in training who will be ordained deacon in September 2017 and will serve as a Locally Deployed Self-Supporting Minister (LDSSM). The Team Rector has overall responsibility for ministry across the Team and day to day responsibility for St Nicolas Church, Witham. The departure of one of our two Team Vicars has enabled us to re-consider the focus of our mission and ministry across the Team. We have been able to think strategically following the decision by the Diocese of Chelmsford to recruit an Associate Priest who will have a diocesan role as Rural Adviser housed in the Vicarage in Terling and offering Sundays plus two days in the villages of Terling, Fairstead and Faulkbourne. The creation of this new post means that our new Team Vicar (Pioneer) will be able to focus his or her ministry principally in the area of new housing and development in South Witham which is where the Vicarage is located. We are excited by the new opportunities which this opens up for us across the Team. Our other Team Vicar lives in Silver End and has responsibility for the villages of Silver End, Rivenhall and White Notley. Three of the ALPs are based in Witham and three in the villages. We have a (paid) Parish Administrator who works 15 hours each week. Chelmsford Diocese The Diocese of Chelmsford is a large and diverse diocese serving East London and the entire county of Essex, over 3 million people in total. There are three Episcopal Areas, 24 Deaneries, 463 parishes and approximately 500 clergy. The Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell has been Bishop of Chelmsford since Witham Deanery Witham and Villages Team Ministry is in the Deanery of Witham which is part of the Archdeaconry of Colchester in the Colchester Episcopal Area of Chelmsford Diocese. The town of Witham (see below) has, by some considerable margin, the largest population in the Deanery, followed by Tiptree (population 9,000). The Deanery comprises 33 parishes (38 churches) and aside from Witham and Tiptree is rural and includes Mersea Island. The Witham and Villages Team Ministry and Thurstable and Winstree Team Ministry (Tiptree and surrounding villages) are the only Team Ministries in the Deanery. Thurstable and Winstree TM have recently joined with the villages of Kelvedon and Fearing to form a Mission and Ministry Unit (MMU). Deanery Synod meets three times each year and is well attended. There is good support and fellowship between the clergy of the Deanery who meet monthly in Chapter and enjoy a Quiet Day together annually. The current Team Rector of Witham and Villages TM is the Area Dean. 2

3 Witham Witham is a market town in mid-essex with a population of 25,353 (2011 Census). The town was originally based round the Chipping Hill area in prehistoric and Saxon times but the town centre around Newland Street was settled by the Knights Templar in the 12 th Century, and developed as a staging post in the 18 th Century. Witham expanded rapidly in the 1960s and 70s with the establishment of several housing on the outskirts through a Town Development agreement with the former Greater London Council. Significant additional housing and limited retail development is currently in progress in the south west of the town with the development of 600/800 new homes. Situated on the A12 and with good rail links, the population includes those whose families have lived in Witham for generations as well as those of more recent arrivals, many of whom commute to Chelmsford or London. The community is served by doctors' and dentists' surgeries with the nearest emergency hospital being Broomfield in nearby Chelmsford and community hospitals in Braintree and Maldon. Witham has seven primary schools and two secondary schools including Howbridge Church of England Junior School situated in the south of the town. Chipping Hill Primary School (despite its name) is also situated in the south of Witham. There are also two children's centres and a family support centre. Other amenities include a new Sports Centre as well as a range of other specialist sports clubs. There is also a Town Hall/Visitor Centre (home to Witham Town Council WTC), Public Hall, public library and Citizen's Advice Bureau. The River Walk, managed by WTC, is a central feature which leads to Whetmead Nature Reserve. Economically, Witham is mixed. Some areas are fairly affluent but there are pockets of deprivation. Witham PCC (St Nicolas Church) currently receives part of the deprivation grant payable to low-income Dioceses. In 2013, a Food Bank was set up in the town by Churches Together in Witham as part of the Trussell Trust scheme, and is supported by food donations and volunteers from St. Nicolas' Church and the other town churches. 3

4 St. Nicolas Church, Chipping Hill, Witham ( We are pleased that we are able to leave the church building unlocked during the day, every day. St. Nicolas' Church is a large 14 th century building built on a site which is believed to have been a place of worship dating back to prehistoric times. The well-maintained Grade I listed church is within the historically and archaeologically important Chipping Hill area of Witham. Our Vision: St. Nicolas' Church strives to be a Christian community which, sustained by the sacraments, worship and fellowship, reaches out into the local area and beyond to share the gift of Christ. Worship is rooted in the 'Liberal Catholic' tradition of the Church of England and is fully inclusive. There is a crèche area for children. A Toddler Group (Chatterbox) takes place on Monday mornings for pre-school children and their carers and begins with a short service in church. In August 2015, we began a monthly Messy Church on a Tuesday at 4pm. This has proved to be very successful and there are over 100 children on the books. We have recently launched a Youth Group ( the Crib ) who meet monthly on a Thursday evening. Occasional offices are an important element of our ministry at St. Nicolas'. In 2016 there were 50 baptisms, 20 weddings (28 booked for 2017) and 55 funerals (in the church, at the graveside and at the crematorium). The main Sunday service is the Parish Eucharist (CW Order 1) at am, with Holy Communion (Order 2) at 8.00 am and Evensong (BCP) at 6.00 pm. Regular weekday services include Morning and Evening Prayer daily and Holy Communion on Thursday mornings. The congregation encompasses a demographic mix from young families and people new to the area to those who have lived in Witham and worshipped at St. Nicolas' for many years. The number on the electoral roll as of 2 nd April 2017 is 225. Music plays an important part in the worship life of St. Nicolas'. Since the installation of the Kenneth Tickell Organ, installed in 2002, the church has funded an Organ Scholarship and has welcomed a succession of young people to develop their skills, many of whom have gone on to study music at degree level. The successful and inclusive robed choir (which includes children) is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music. A dedicated team of volunteer bell ringers ring for all main services and at weddings. The organ is an outstanding instrument which regularly attracts visiting organists. The church hall, converted from stables in 1971, contains the Parish Office as well as kitchen, storage and toilet facilities. The congregation is supported by a growing range of activities such as Enquirers' Groups, Bible Study, Lent Groups, a Walking Group and the occasional Quiet Day. The Mothers' Union branch celebrated its 125 year anniversary in We have a team of highly skilled flower arrangers and a team who take responsibility for the upkeep of the churchyard. The PCC and its sub-committees are made up of an enthusiastic cross-section of church members. We hold monthly Baptism Preparation Evenings, twice yearly Marriage Preparation Days, and both clergy and lay members of the congregation are involved in visits to and services at local care 4

5 homes and supporting the bereaved. In the last few years Witham Town Council have held their annual Civic Service at St Nicolas Church and the Royal British Legion are involved in our Remembrance Day service. We are committed to building up the place of St. Nicolas' Church at the heart of the community with a focus on pastoral care and outreach. Our annual Mediaeval Fayre, which started in 1977, takes place in the churchyard and inside the church on the last Saturday in June and is a major feature of town life and a major church outreach opportunity. Our financial position as at the end of 2016 is as follows: Total receipts on ordinary unrestricted funds (General and Equipment Funds) were 117,276 and after expenses, including the payment of 80,587 in respect of the Parish Share, and after adding bank and deposit balances brought forward at the beginning of the year, the balance carried forward at 31 st December for the ordinary restricted fund totalled 18,856. We raised 23,000 by various fund raising events including from our Mediaeval Fayre (down on previous years due to heavy rain showers) The Mediaeval Fayre begins! South Witham The expansion of Witham has taken place in all directions from the ancient town centre. In particular, the area in the south of the town has grown since the 1960s and 70s to include several housing estates. Construction of the very large Maltings estate began in the early 2000s and still continues. The housing is a mix of social and private housing and there are patches of relative deprivation. A new Aldi supermarket, a children s nursery and a pub/restaurant, The Old Pottery Kiln, have been built at the edge of the Maltings estate but there is but little in the way of community facilities. Sports facilities including a basketball area and a football pitch (with changing rooms) have been planned are not yet built. The estates built in the 1960s and 70s have substantially more green space than the Maltings estate, and the housing to the east of this area gives easy access to the River Walk. There are three schools (one Church of England, one Roman Catholic and one Local Authority) within the South Witham area. Howbridge Church of England Junior School became a sponsored Academy under the Chelmsford Diocese Vine Schools Trust in September It is this school which until very recently was the location of a Church Plant which emerged out of St Nicolas Church some 25 years ago, upon recognition that the church, which is the only parish church in Witham, is over a mile away from this part of the town. This was before the development of the Maltings estate and at the 5

6 time was the centre of the new housing in the south of the town. This Church Plant, known as St Nic s in South Witham, has remained the only worshipping Christian presence of any denomination in this part of Witham. Loves God Follows Christian values Is enthusiastic, kind, amusing and brave Is good at listening and good at speaking Likes serving people and works hard! We have a good relationship with Howbridge Church of England Junior School. Clergy from the Witham and Villages Team Ministry lead collective worship weekly and, together with a lay PCC representative, serve on the Governing Body. In addition, members of the congregation of St Nicolas Church regularly go into the school to listen to readers and help in other ways. The children were asked recently what they would like to see in their new vicar. They would like someone who: St Nic s in South Witham : The Church Plant met twice a month in Howbridge Church of England Junior School hall until very recently. Services ceased upon the departure of the Team Vicar in April The services were usually eucharistic and informal in style. A bespoke portable altar, a paschal candle stand and a communion set which are set up prior to each service. Music was made up of traditional and contemporary hymns, songs and liturgies presented on PowerPoint and accompanied by guitar. Ages ranged from people of retirement age to babies and toddlers. Activities for children were set up at the back of the hall and children were also encouraged to take part in the services. The Future: Since there has been no appreciable growth from local residents, as was hoped in the beginning, it is now recognised that we need to consider changes in the way in which we focus our ministry and mission in this part of the town in order to be contextually appropriate and contemporary in our approach. We believe this community will be best served by a Team Vicar who has a heart and appetite for pioneer ministry in an area of both new housing and on housing estates. There are many younger people, couples and families in South Witham as well as a good number of more elderly people in sheltered housing and elderly persons bungalows. For more information on St. Nicolas' Church and our work across Witham, please visit We are on Facebook: and on Twitter and Our connections with the community: The two large secondary schools in Witham have each been Academies for several years, and are part of the Academies Enterprise Trust. As well as strong links with Howbridge Church of England Junior School, St Nicolas Church also has good links with Powers Hall Academy and Chipping Hill Primary School. There are several other primary schools in the town, although the church has more variable links with these. 6

7 St. Nicolas Church has a close association with both St George s Nursing Home and Park View Residential Home visiting frequently and leading monthly services of Holy Communion in both places. Taking Holy Communion to the sick and housebound is an important part of our ministry. The town of Witham is twinned with Waldbröl, a similar sized town in NW Germany. Several members of the church are involved with the Twinning Association, which co-ordinates mutual annual visits and other activities. Churches Together in Witham is a well-established and well-supported organisation in which St Nicolas Church plays an active role. There is a weekly lunchtime service held at the URC ( Tuesday Praise ) which is led by clergy and lay people from the different churches, and there are joint services held in the churches on a rotation basis three times a year the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Christian Aid Week and One World Week. Ecumenical Lent Courses are run each year. Christian Youth Outreach (CYO) works with young people and children in Witham schools and is supported by Churches Together in Witham. Numerous members of the congregation of St Nicolas Church are involved in community activities in Witham and the surrounding area. These include the local Food Bank, the Night Shelter for the homeless in Chelmsford, Citizens' Advice Bureau, Family Mosaic, Round Table and Rotary organisations, the annual Ride & Stride fundraiser, Christian Aid, the Church Army and the Children s Society (especially through our three Christingle services). Our Village Parishes St Mary s, Rivenhall and St Francis, Silver End: Rivenhall is a small rural community comprising of two separate parts Rivenhall Village and Rivenhall End about half a mile apart with a total population of around 700 people. Silver End is larger with a population of 3,800. Silver End is set to grow by some 500 homes in the next 10 years with recent approval for housing at two sites in the village. In addition to St Mary s Church, the village of Rivenhall has a C of E Primary School, a shop and a village hall. As well as St Francis Church, Silver End has a Roman Catholic and a Congregational church. There are a number of shops including a post office, a Primary School and a pub, The Western Arms. St Mary s Church and St Francis Church have a joint PCC. The parish has a total of 63 members on the electoral roll, most of whom worship at St Mary s, Rivenhall. More information is available on the parish website: with links to the parish Facebook page and the website of St. Francis, Silver End. All Saints, Terling: Situated on the Essex Way, about four miles from Witham, Terling is a quiet, peaceful village with a population of around 700. Lord Rayleigh s Estate is, by far, the largest landowner and there is a mixture of owned and rented property. Most people work outside the village and commute to towns and cities by car or train. Hatfield Peverel Station is about three miles away. There is a strong community spirit, evidenced by the many clubs and societies; Bell Ringing, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Ladies Club, Craft Club, Gardening to name but a few. They 7

8 are listed in the monthly Parish News, a church led publication edited and distributed by volunteers. There is a Cricket Club, Football Club, Tennis Club and a heated outdoor swimming pool which is a popular meeting place during the summer. Hillside Play Care, for the under fives, is based in the Village Hall, which is well used and available for hire. The Post Office and Stores is a hub for local news as is the Monkey pub and restaurant and the Owls Hill Tea Room who share their premises with the weekly GP Surgery. All Saints Church dates from the thirteenth century and is in generally good repair, cared for by many volunteers. It is open during the day and enjoyed by visitors and parishioners alike. A traditional Anglican service, supported by an organist and small, but enthusiastic choir, is held weekly with an average congregation of 25 increasing greatly at festivals. There are 61 names on the Electoral Roll. Fundraising and social events are well supported. Terling C of E Primary School, with around 100 pupils on roll, is a central part of the community and has strong links with All Saints Church. Clergy take weekly assemblies, serve on the Governing Body and, with the help of volunteers, lead the weekly Explorers after school club. The school visit the church for their end of term services. Learn more about our village on our community web site St Mary and St Peter, Fairstead: Fairstead is a small parish with a population of a little over 200 distributed over the three hamlets of Church End, Fuller Street and Ranks Green. For over forty years it has shared a Parish Council with Terling, and the links between the two parishes are close. Fuller Street contains a thriving public house/restaurant and a couple of small businesses, Ranks Green a more substantial business including an abattoir and wholesale and retail butcher, but otherwise the main economic activity is farming. The Church of St Mary and St Peter is a small church with capacity to seat up to 90, dating originally from the 11 th century. It is Grade 1 listed, mainly because of its medieval wall paintings, which include a fine Passion cycle over the Chancel Arch. Situated as it is beside the Essex Way, and always unlocked in daylight hours, it attracts a considerable number of visitor and is much appreciated for the opportunity it presents for periods of quiet reflection. The pattern of worship has for some years been to provide services based on the Book of Common Prayer, catering for those worshippers who have a preference for the traditional language. Average attendance at our services is around 8 and our PCC now has 7 members. St Etheldreda, White Notley: The village of White Notley lies between Braintree and Witham, in the valley of the river Brain. It is surrounded by agricultural land. It has a population of 520. Major buildings are the church, the Cross Keys pub, White Notley Hall and 47 other listed buildings. The C of E Primary School has an excellent reputation and the village has a railway station, golf club and football club. The population is a good mix of young and old, and many of the working population travel to the light industrial estates of Witham and Braintree, or take the train to Colchester, Chelmsford or London Liverpool Street. In the summer there is a duck race along the river which raises money for charity and a box-car race down Station Road hill. The Church holds a summer lunch in the garden of one of the larger houses, and at Christmas there is carol singing round the Christmas tree on the village green. The Village Hall is used by many local groups throughout the year. There are sports and concert days at the school. 8

9 The beautiful Grade 1 church of St Etheldreda dates from the 13th century and includes bricks from a nearby Roman villa. It has pews for 200 people and over 50 gravestones and memorials in the churchyard. Our registers of baptisms, marriages and burials go back to 1578, and there are a number of interesting historical and architectural features within. There are services twice a month The congregation averages around with many more at Christmas and Easter. In addition 60 villagers are Friends of St Etheldreda. There is a good level of support for the church among in the village. St Germanus, Faulkbourne: On the road from Witham to Braintree Faulkbourne is a very small village with a small, well maintained Grade 1 Norman church close to Faulkbourne Hall, which is the house of the local estate. There are approximately 84 adults living in the parish. There are 20 on the Electoral Roll. The majority of residents work, around 40% of them commuting to London. The church and village hall are the last remaining community facilities. The village is only 1 mile from St Nicolas Church Witham and an excellent working relationship has been established since the formation of the Team Ministry. There are services in St Germanus Church every Sunday with an average attendance last year of nine. Last year there were 3 weddings and 1 baptism. A significant change in the pattern of service in the last two years has been the introduction of a monthly evening Taizé service. This has proved extremely popular and attracting church members from other churches in the Team. A very popular recent introduction to village life has been the regular coffee morning, held on the third Saturday in each month. This attracts many people who are not church goers from both within the village and beyond. Vicarage The vicarage is an attractive fully detached 4 bedroom property with well-planned and spacious accommodation, including a large study, situated in the south of the town with excellent access to the A12. There is an attractive, enclosed garden and solar panels have recently been fitted. Our new Team Vicar We believe this post offers stimulating and challenging opportunities for the right person and we will give full support to the best of our abilities. We are excited by the future and by the new openings and possibilities which present themselves in our town and the surrounding villages. We need someone who is prepared to take risks in starting and developing new initiatives and projects, and who is able to think independently and creatively in order to develop the possibilities which undoubtedly exist in the south of the town 9

10 We are seeking a Team Vicar (Pioneer) who will work with everyone across our Team Ministry as we follow the vision of Transforming Presence ( and endeavour to live out its priorities so as to inhibit the world distinctively, evangelise effectively, serve with accountability and re-imagine ministry. Our new Team Vicar will be someone who: Responds imaginatively to key opportunities for mission Can spot openings and develop them wisely Enjoys ministry in schools and is willing to be a school governor Has a heart for mission in areas of new housing and new development Is disciplined in personal prayer, reading the Bible and private study Understands contemporary cultures and is excited by the emergence of fresh expressions of church within them. Holds a valid UK driving licence and has a car. In addition, he or she will be: Committed to being a team player in a busy Team Ministry Happy to work collaboratively with both lay and ordained colleagues Willing to engage with and respond to the needs of very different communities Confident with different worship styles from very informal to very formal including wearing of vestments (chasuble) Happy to encourage the ministry of others Willing to work in innovative and creative ways to identify new mission opportunities Able to bring the unchanging gospel of God s love into the lives of people today in a way which is gracious and inclusive 10